ACCIDENTS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9155, 10 September 1888, Page 9

ACCIDENTS, ETC.

THE SCHOONER COLONIST

WRECKED.

THE CAPTAIN AISD TWO OP THE

CREW DROWNED.

Cheat excitement was occasioned in Wellington on Friday morning, the 31st of August, on receipt of the news of the wreck of the schooner Colonist, outside the Heads, and quite a gloom was cast on the city when it was learned that three of the crew of the unfortunate vessel had perished.

It appears that the Colonist, a schooner of 43 tons register, owned by E. and J. Bailey, and under Captain Bailey (part owner) left Lyttelton with a cargo of produce for Waitara on August 29.

All went well until the vessel was off Cape Campbell, and then heavy southerly weather was experienced, during which the schooner lost her rudder. *

The captain then endeavoured to make for Wellington to repair the damage, but finding himself drifting on a lee shore in the neighbourhood of Lyell's Bay, the anchor was dropped. This held for a time, but the increasing wind and sea had its effect, and the vessel commenced to drag shoreward?. Sail was at once put on the schooner with a view of weathering the reef, but it was too late, and the vessel gradually drifted on to the rocks near the old pilot station.

Immediately the vessel struck, the masts went by the board, and within a few seconds the hull was torn to pieces, and nothing was to be seen from shore but floating wreckage. The Colonist struck the rocks about 11 a.m. on August 31, but a couple of hours before this Captain Sinclair, of the steamer raw era, froln Lyttelton, when Hearing Wellington Heads, noticed signals of distress Hying from the schooner, and he made a praiseworthy effort to render assistance to the disabled vessel, but owing to her close proximity to the shore nothing could be done, and the Tarawera came on to Wellington and reported the wreck. Those on board the Colonist were Charles Bailey (mate), Charles Burns, A.8., a man known as Mike," and another man whose name is not known, who was working his passage. This last-mentioned person had been working as a potter in Dunedin, where he had lived for some years past with his wife and familv.

Captain Bailey when the vessel struck hud made a determined effort to swim to the short;, but missed thy line thrown to him by the fishermen on the beach, and was dashed against the rocks, lie breathed for a few minutes after being washed ashore. The body has been brought to town. The survivor jumped overboard before the vessel struck, and after swimming about 100 yards he climbed on to the rocks, from which he was rescued by means of a line passed out to him by people on shore. The man was considerably knocked about when he was brought to shore, and there was a great cut on his temple, but he had not lost consciousness, although somewhat dazed.

The other people on board did not care to follow his example bj jumping overboard, otherwise they might have saved themselves. CO R ONER'S IX v '" EST. At the inquest at Wellington on the Ist September on the body of Captain Bailey, of the schooner Colonist, Charles Burns, the only survivor of the wreck, gave evidence, the particulars being same as already telegraphed. Evidence was adduced that the signalman reported to the Harbour Hoard that a vessel was in distress, and that had a steamer been sent on receipt of such information, possibly the lives and the vessel might have been saved. The jury found a verdict of "Accidental death," and added the following rider :— " That we are of opinion that there was ample time from the time the vessel was reported flying a signal of distress to have rendered assistance by sending a steamer from Wellington. We rind that gross negligence was displayed on the part of the Harbour authorities and others, and we recommend that a strict investigation be held into the matter.' None of the other bodies came ashore. [Captain Bailey was well-known in Auckland, and had formerly traded to the Kaipara, but was for the last ten years engaged in tiie Waitara trade, and was well acquainted with the Western Coast. He was married to a sister of Captain James Conway, of Auckland, who is at present residing with her two children at Waitara. The Colonist was also familiar to many engaged in Auckland shipping circles, being regis tered in this port, having been built in 18ti8 by Messrs Sims and Brown, of Customstreet.] A HORRIBLE AFFAIR. New Plymouth, September 4. An extraordinary occurrence is reported in connection with the body of Captain Bailey, who was drowned at Wellington Heads on Thursday last. The body reached Waitara, by train from Wellington last evening at five p.m., and was taken to deceased's residence. Father Cassidy, Mr. Dickey, schoolmaster, and some others were present on its arrival, and it Was decided to open the coffin, which was enclosed in a Hermetically sealed case. When the outer case was opened, Mr. Dickey looked through the glass in the coffin lid, and uttered an exclamation of horror. Father Cassidy also looked, and he states that Ire saw the eyes of deceased open and shut several times. Mr. Dickey also declares that he saw the eyes open and shut. The coffin was at once opened, the body was taken out, and an attempt made to re-animate the corpse by every means. Meantime, Dr. Blunden was sent for, but being away from home, his aid could not be procured for several hours later. The means for resuscitation were kept up for over an hour, but without success', and when Dr. Bluden arrived he pronounced life to be extinct, although he admitted that the body had an unusually life-like appearance, especially considering that deceased had been drowned five days previously. Deceased was buried this afternoon at Waitara with Masonic honours.

LOSS OF THE CUTTER SOUTH CAROLINA. The s.s. lona, which arrived in harbour at an early hour on the 31st August, brought intelligence of the capsizing and loss of the cutter South Carolina, which occurred on August 30 off the Great Barrier. The cutter, it appears, left Maori Bay on the 30th of August at seven a.m. for Auckland with a load of firewood, and at about three o'clock, when off the Pigeon Rocks, a tremendous squall from the south west struck the cutter with great force, causing her to heel over. The crew triced up the tack, and lowered the peak, and the captain kept her away intending to make for Tryphena harbour. The squall, however, continued with great force, and the cutter tilled and sank. The crew (live in number) took to the dingy, and the steamer lona fortunately just coming past rescued the men from their perilous posiposition. The steamer was two miles distant when Captain Amodeo saw the accident, and he immediately sent a man to the masthead, and this being seen by the crew of the cutter, they were sure of their safety. The cutter was owned by Captain Soars, who was on board, and as the cutter was uninsured, he has lost his all.

A woman named Mary Ann Giles, wife of Stephen Giles, died suddenly at her residence, Lake Road, near Devonport, on the 19th August. Deceased recently gave birth to a child, and was attended by a neighbour, Mrs. Walters. She was, however, recovering, and was in good spirits when the family retired on August 18. About five a.m. on August 19 her husband was awakened by Mrs. Giles calling out for her daughter Mary. Giles went into the room, and found his wife sitting on the side of the bed, but she suddenly fell back, and died in a few minutes. Dr. Parkinson arrived at the house shortly afterwards, but as lie had not been attending deceased, he did not give a certificate of death. An inquest was held at the house on the 20th August, before Colonel De Quincey, act-ing-coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr. James Mays was foreman. Sergt. Gillies represented the police. The facts adduced in evidence were the sa'Sie as above. The jury brought in a verdict of " Death from natural causes."

Two horg3S, harnessed to hackney arid hansom carriages respectively, bolted in Queen-street on the ISth August shortly after eight p.m., when a man named John Cassidy was run over and had his leg broken. The vehicles were upon the Northcote tee of the Queen-street- Wharf (the s.s. Rotoifci having just arrived with a shooting party on board), and the drivers, John lveenan and David Stewart, had left their charges in order to endeavour to " pick up fares." Stewart went down the steps to get near the steamer, whilst Keenan was a few yards away, when Stewart's horses swerved against the horse between the shafts of the hansom, and the three startled animals then bolted up the wharf. The horses with the hackney carriage turned up Custom-street West, and at Albert-street they were caught by a man named Driscoll. Keenan's horse, in passing the Thames Hotel, knocked down the man Cassidy, who was run over by the hansom, his leg being broken. Sergeant Clarke ordered Cassidy's removal to the Hospital. On the 17th August, about eleven a.m., a gas explosion took place at the premises of Messrs. T. and S. Morrin, ironmongers, Queen-street, under the following circumstances :Shortly after opening the shop, at eight o'clock in the morning, the employes of the firm became conscious of a strong smell of gas. At this time there were one or two lights in the shop, but as soon as the escape was discovered, these were at once turned out and a messenger sent to Mr. R. Tudehope's, gasfit-ter, Wcllesley-street, for a workman to attend to the mater. A man named Charles Watson was sent to Messrs. Morrin's place, and after a short time the leakage was located in or near Mr. Buddie's office, up the steps, at the rear of the shop. Watson on arrival turned off the gas at. the meter, and doors and windows were thrown open to let the gas go out. During this time Watson had found where he thought the leak was, and had taken up a plank of the flooring in Mr. Buddie's room. After half an hour, thinking everything safe, he got a candle, and went to examine the wall adjoining the steps into Mr. Buddie's room. Placing the candle about two and a-half or three yards away from the wall, he began work, and knocked a brick away to get to the pipe connections. As soon as the brick was displaced a rush of gas came through the hole, reaching the flame of the candle and causing an explosion. Watson had a most narrow escape. As it is his eyelashes are singed off, and his eyes and face mote or less burned. The explosion blew out a great quantity of window glass, smashing almost all the glass work between the shop and the stairs' rooms, and breaking anil bursting portions of the wood-work, and doing damage estimated at about £o. As soon as the accident was over, steps were taken to repair the pipes and the breakages. While the accident was bad enough, it might have done much greater damage, and it seems a wonder it did not.

There is reason to believe that a serious boating accident lias occurred in the Firth of Thames, by which three men have lost their live.-;. It appears ihat Alfred " Joe," a native of India, who is well known about the wharf, ieffc here on Sunday, the 26th August, in a fishing yacht, about 20 feet long and painted white, called the " Pat, 1 ' in company with i lad of 15, named Augustine O'ilanaiahan, and a sailor whose name is ii,it known, for the purpose of fishing at the Thames. "Joe" and his mates were seen on the 27th of August sailing from the Thames to Miranda by Joseph Pitona and two other men. Since then nothing has been heard of them. "Joe" had intended to return to Auckland on the 27th, and as the weather was then very boisterous, it is supposed that the yacht has capsized, and that " Joe" and Ins mates have been drowned. Stephen O'Hanarahan, of Chapelstreet, has reported the matter to the police. Early on the 27th August a man named William F. Patterson died suddenly at his residence in Cross street, Newton. He had been ill all August 20, and about half-past two in the morning he was heard to call for assistance. On going to his room he was found to be insensible, and upon Dr. Bond being summoned he pronounced life extinct. An inquest was held on the 28th August, at the Naval and Family Hotel, before Dr. Philson, coroner. Mr. L. Martin was foreman of the jury. Miss Bertha Patterson, daughter of the deceased, deposed that his age was forty-eight years, and that he had been a widower, his wife having died six months ago. The jury re turned a verdict to the effect that death was brought on by grief at the loss of his wife.

A serious and painful accident occurred on the 24th August to Mr. J. C. Morrin, Messrs. Heather and Co. 's well-known town traveller. He was in the act of leaping from a fence, when his left foot caught, and he fell heavily to the ground, breaking his leg above the ankle. He was conveyed to his residence in Wellington-street, where his injuries were attended to by Doctor Hooper.

Frederick Olin, an able seaman on board the ketch Reliance, now loading timber at Turua Mills, was engaged on August 27 about half-past one o'clock in scraping the mast above the main crosstree, when, by some cause, he slipped and fell into the hold beneath, a depth of 30 feet, and sustained a severe fracture of the skull and a broken arm. He was at once put on board Messrs. agnail's Bros.' steam launch and taken to Kopu Wharf, whence he was conveyed on a stretcher to the Thames Hospital, arriving about half-past four. The unfortunate man expired on Aug. 31. No inquest was held, as Dr. Callan certified to the cause of death, deceased having been under his care since the accident occurred. Olin was a Norwegian by birth, and about 27 years of age.

A frightful accident happened at Okaihau on Friday afternoon, the 31st August, by which Mr. John Donaldson was killed by the fall of a tree. He was giving a neighbour, Mr. Thompson Graham, a day's help bush-felling. About four o'clock in the afternoon he was working near a leaning tree that had its head formerly broken off. Mr. Graham was felling a tree a little distance off, and ho called to Mr. Donaldson to look out. He moved to what he thought a safe distance. Mr. Graham's tree in falling hit the leaning stump, which was about 25 feet long, and more than half rotten near the roots, breaking it off and hurling it with great force in the direction in which Mr. Donaldson was standing, the top end of it hitting him on the head and smashing it in a dreadful manner, causing instant death. The deceased leaves a wife and two young children. He was held in the highest esteem and great sympathy is felt for the family. An inquest was held before Captain Burleigh, J.P., acting coroner, and a jury of whom Mr. W. H. Nicholson was foreman, when a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. He was buried in the Church of England burying-ground. The funeral was attended by almost everyone in the district. At a meeting of the committee of the Bay of Islands Agricultural and Horticultural Society, of which deceased was a member, a unanimous vote of condolence with the family of the deceased was engrossed on the minutes and ordered to be transmitted to the widow. During the early part of the fire in Kyber Pass Road on September 2, Branchman Stanton, of the Kyber contingent of the Auckland Fire Brigade, had his hands, wrists, back, and shoulders severely burnt. During the early part of the fire there was very little water pressure, and heapproached so close to the flames that he was caught in them. His burns are very painful, bub not dangerous. An inquest was held at the Hospital on August 31 on the body of Edward McCracken, who was kicked by a horse at Buckland's saleyard on the 24th August, and who died from the effects of the injuries received on the previous day. Dr. i Philson was the coroner. Dr. Lewis, who had attended the deceased, and Dr. Lindsay, who made a post mortem examination, were examined. The latter found that the bowels had been ruptured, and caused death. A verdict was returned " That death resulted from rupture of the bowels, caused by a kick from a horse." Mr. Wm. Wilson, who is engineer at Wilson's limeworks, Warkworth, whilst raising the engine which drives the machinery, was unfortunate enough to have his foot in the way when the chain by which it was being hoisted gave way, and had it not been for an iron bar which received most of the shock, would in all probability have crushed his foot off. As it is, some of the bones of the foot were broken, but have been set by Dr. Campbell, and the sufferer is now progressing towards recovery. Mr. G. D. Ross, travelling agent for the Singer Sewing Machine Company, was drowned on the 21st August whilst attempting to cross the Otaki River on horseback.

A sudden death occurred atChelsea(Sugarworks) on the 19th August, the deceased being Mary Sims, wife of Thomas Sims. An inquest was held on the 21st August, before Colonel de Quincey, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr. James Kirk was foreman. The following facts were act duced in evidence :—Mrs. Sims was aboui 55 years of age. On the 18th August she came to Auckland by the quarter past eight a.m. ferry steamer in company with e friend named Mrs. Curtis, both returning by the 12.30 boat from Auckland, and reaching home about one o'clock. Mrs. Sims com plained that her legs were tired, but otherwise she seemed to be in her usual health, and worked in the garden till six o'clock, when she had tea with her husband, and each had a small nip of rum. The husband remained at home and played the concertina up to about nine o'clock, his wife singing to the music, and they then went to bed and fell asleep. At about tw > o'clock in the morning both woke, and each had a small tot of rum, and then went to sleep again. At seven o'clock Mr. Sims called his wife to prepare the breakfast, and she gob up and partly dressed, but she then felt unwell, and said she would go to bed for another half hour. She laid down, and turning partly on her side, expired at once. Dr. Parkinson, who made a post mortem examination of the body, saw that the heart was in a terribly diseased state, and found that the cause of death was valvular disease of the heart. The jury returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes." Mrs. Sims has been in the colony 37 years, and leaves a family of three daughters and one son.

A fishing smack, Three Brothers, of about) twenty tons, left Gisborne on August 30 for a bay along the coast to load posts. The vessel got a: i-ght by a heavy southern gale and sea, which sprang up in the night. No shelter being available, and knowing tha vessel would be unable to live in a heavy sea, the captain ran the vessel ashore on Sandy Beach, where she was broken to atoms. The men on board managed to get ashore.

Our Helensville correspondent states that an accident occurred in the Kaipara Harbour, just opposite Shelly Beach, on the 16th August by which a man, supposed to he Harry Prout, of Port Albert, lost his life. It appears that he had rowed out some miles from the land to a spot where he anchored, and where the boat apparently capsized. About two hours later a Maori saw the boat and the man clinging to it, and he and Air. James Stewart pulled out) and brought them on shore, but the man succumbed ten minutes after they gained the land. There seems little doubt that the man is Prout, for he was seen on Aug. 16 by the master of die steamer Minnie Casey making towards Helensville, and it is feared that his mate, Peter Brown, has also been drowned, as he was with Prout on Aug. 16. At Helensville on Aug. 21 an inquest was held by Mr. A. Beebham upon the circumstances of the drowning of Prout. About noon on September 5 a man named William Seager, a boiler maker, was, with the assistance of his son, landing the gangway from the p.s. Tong.arux;. when he lost) his balance and fell into the water between the vessel and the Quay-street breastwork. In his descent his head struck the piles, and was severely cut in four places. Ha was pulled out of the water by his son and others who were close at hand, and taken to Dr. Philson, who recommended his removal to the Hospital. There he received every attention, and he is now progressing favourably. Mr. James Morison, of the Kaipara Flats, had the bad luck recently to have a gunshot wound through the calf of his leg, just below the knee. It seems Mr. Morison, with a friend, was out pig hunting, and as he was striving to keep the animal bailed up, his mate came up with the gun, and as he was in the act of pulling the trigger, Mr. Mo rison shifted his leg away from the pig's tusks, when the shob went off and went through his leg and also laid the pig dead. On August 22, while Messrs. Farnsworth and Henrickson of East Tamaki were returning homewards to East Tamaki the horse which they were driving shied near the Harp of Erin, capsizing their cart, and throwing the occupants violently to the ground. Dr. Leger Erson, who was close at hand, attended to their injuries, which in Henrickson's case were of so severe a character as to render his removal to the Hospital advisable. Farnsworth escaped with a lacerated wound in the head and

some contusions. Henrickson is progressing favourably at the Hospital. On August 13 Mr. W. Currie, Waiuku, met with a very serious accident. It appears he was goin<* to feed a young horse that was being broken in, when the horse kicked out, breaking Sir. Currie's thigh, knocking him down, and other kicks breaking several of his ribs. Dr. Dalziell was telegraphed for, and arrived about nine o'clock p.m. He set) the broken limb and bandaged him up, staying with him until midday next day. On the 19th August a child, two years old, son of Mrs. Thomas Casey, Waiorongomai, got badly burned about the lower part of the body through its clothes igniting, while it was playing near the fire during the temporary absence of its parents. The little sufferer expired on August 20, after enduring great agony.

Mr. Nairn, manager of the Bank of Australasia, Hawera, was driving his family to Manaia on Sept. 2, when the horses bolted and upset the buggy when approaching the Waingongoro Bridge. The youngest child, an infant, was badly hurt about the head. The elder child had his ankle sprained. Mr. and Mrs. Nairn and Miss Fantham are much bruised.

Human remains were found at Dunedin on August 16 on the ranges, about a mile from Eastbourne Station, Crown Range Arrow. From papers it is believed that the remains are those of Henry A. Bourke, late of Dunedin.

On August 14, three men employed a R. Sunderland's bakery, Richmond, neai Christchurch, went to bed about nina o'clock, and left a bucket-full of coke burning in their room, which is closely boarded, and when the door and windows

are shut is almost airtight. They have been in the habit of doing this for some time, but owing to there being a broken pane in the window, no serious effects had hitherto resulted. This pane has been mended, consequently on the 14th August when the coke tire burnt up the fumes could nob escape. The head baker, who went to wake them at two a.m., found them insensible. He opened the door and windows, and sent for Dr. Stewart, under whose treatment) two of them recovered, but the third, Fred Collins, is still in a very precarious state. When Mounted Constable Kelly was making his regular rounds over the Waitakerei district on August 15, he was informed by Mr. Rowland Hill that a man named Peter Hansen had been found dead in the bed of a creek in Waitakerei West. Mr. Hill is the contractor for the construction

of the new road to the West Coast, and. Hansen was in his employ, and was engaged working by himself in building a bridge over the creek where he was found. Mr. Hill and two other workmen were busy at another portion of the road about a quarter of a mile distant. At midday on August 15 they hailed Hansen to come to dinner as usual, and receiving no reply, Mr. Hill and one of the men went to the bridge to ascertain the cause. They found Hansen quite dead lying in the creek, his body and legs being in the water, while his head rested upon the bank. The creek was unusually low, and had not more than three inches of water. Hansen, who was subject to severe fits, had apparently fallen from the bridge, a height of seven feet. On August 29 James Gibson, aged 10, son of Mr. William Gibson, farmer, West) Milton, was thrown out of a cart while going home from the market at Addington, and was killed by the wheel passing over his head. John Walker, an old resident of Opoho, over 70 years of age, was found dead in hia bed at Dunedin on September 1. He must) have been a couple of days dead when discovered. He leaves considerable property but no relatives in the colony. At the inquest, held on Sept. 3, it was proved that he had £2000 in his possession at the time of his death. serious accident happened to Mr. Arthur v heeller, of Te Rore, on September 1. He had ridden over to his brother's house atTamahere, Mr. A. T. Wheeiler, and on reaching the newly-made road nearly at the end of his journey his horse shied at a cart left on the roadside. Shying across the road, the horse tripped and fell in the water table, falling on Mr. W heeller's leg, who still kept hold of the reins. As the horse struggled to get/ up, however, it kicked Mr. vVheeller on the right side of the face, breaking in the bone oa the right cheek below the eye. Dr. Waddington was at once sent for, and attended to the injury. He does net expect any permanent injury to the sight, but Mr. Wheeiler has had, a very narrow escape.

The body of Mr. E. Gonnley, cab proprietor, was found on Te Aro foreshore, Wellington, on September 4. Deceased was seen alive the previous night. It is not known how he came to be in the water, but it is believed that he fell off the breastwork. A native named Tame Te Kiri, once a member of the constabulary, met with a serious accident on August 29 while falling bush on the Patetere Company's land, near the Oxforda Road. His left arm and thigh were fractured by a tree falling upon him. He was brought into the Hospital at Rotorua. At the inquest at Dunedin on Thursday, the 6th September, on Matthew Buckley, an elderly man found dead in his bed, a verdict of death from natural causes was returned, but the jury commented on the negligence and thoughtlessness of the wife of the deceased in not procuring medical attendance. The deceased had refused food which had been given him, and behaved strangely. An extensive fall of earth took place at the rear of a row of houses situated in Willis-street, Wellington, about two p.m. on the 13th of August. A girl named Lizzie Mallows, aged 12, ""as doing some household work at the back of one of the houses when she noticed the earth slipping, and before she had time to escape about 100 tons came down and buried her up to the neck. She was extricated with difficulty, when it was found that she had only sustained a few bruises. John Griffiths, a rabbiter, lias been found dead on Or bell's run, twenty miles from Waikouaiti.

An inquest was held on Monday, the 20th August, on the body of the man McDonald, who was found dead on Port Hills, Canterbury. A verdict of death from exposure was returned. No evidence was adduced to show how he came to be on the hills. He had lodged for three months at Beigh's boardinghouse, where he was believed to be a shepherd from Otago. Frank Perrot, a farmer at Waikari, Canterbury. left his house on Aug. 19 to walk round his farm. He was apparently well at the time. He was found by two swaggers at twelve o'clock lying against a wire fence dead, at a spot adjoining the North Road, and about ten miles from his home. At the inquest on the body, a verdict was returned, "That death resulted from heart disease.

A youth, Thomas Morris, who accidentally shot himself hist month, at Wellington, succumbed on August "21. An exchange states that a man working in the bush near Eketahuna cut one of his big toes off on Aug. '27 whilst bush-felling. He was by himself, and after binding the wound up, he started with the aid of two sticks for the township. On his way out he was met by two men, wh?> wanted to know what was the matter, when the injured man coolly put his hand into his vest pocket and produced the toe. A young man named Harrington was killed on the '27th August, while bush felling at Kairanga, Wellington. A falling rata tree struck him on the head, intlicting injuries from which he died while being carried home.

When the Coptic left Lyttelton on the evening of May 30th, & splash was heard as of somebody falling overboard. Twelve days after a body was found in the harbour, and identified by two stewards as that of Macalist-er, one of the crew. It was accordingly buried as Macalister. It is now ascertained that he was not drowned, but discharged in London on the steamer's last trip. The man drowned proves to be Alexander Reid, one of the crew.